How to stop shaving bats.

[sscroggin]

All they need to do is apply a RFID sticker inside the barrel and apply a clear coat. The RFID would get destroyed when the bat is shaved. Then all manufacturers will have to do hold the bat next to a RFID reader to see if the bat has the RFID. These things are cheap to implement. Leagues and tourneys directors could purchase a reader to test in house. Beats the garbage compression testing system.

 

[Joker]

and then all you have to do is clone the rfid sticker and put a new one in there after shaving it

 

[sscroggin]

That's easier said than done. Can it be done? Absolutely. Takes a much more advanced cheater than what most are. Is it perfect? Negative. But I think it's better than the current solution. No?

 

[Joker]

quick google search shows a new rfid sticker is like $10. wouldn't take long for a douche to figure out the code for each manufacturer or bat or whatever they do

only way to stop shaving is bats with no endcaps

 

[chile]

...only way to stop shaving is bats with no endcaps

or everyone quit softball?

 

[hedge]

I only shave my balls.

 

[stork]

We use RFID chipped cards at work for access cards for customers. I have seen some cards warped from sun that RFID still works, and others that are spotless where they failed after a short time and weren't in any situation to affect them.
So yeah, I am unconvinced that there wouldn't be headaches and false fails. Plus there is the whole repeated impact thing that might uh, impact the findings.

tldr: nah.

 

[Hawk-]

Or back to only metal bats..... duh

 

[stork]

They cheated in the metal bat era as well. We are a glorified backyard sport, we take all kinds to get a game in.

 

[u234bob]

Step 1
Stop whining about shaved bats.

 

[4xtra]

All they need to do is apply a RFID sticker inside the barrel and apply a clear coat. The RFID would get destroyed when the bat is shaved. Then all manufacturers will have to do hold the bat next to a RFID reader to see if the bat has the RFID. These things are cheap to implement. Leagues and tourneys directors could purchase a reader to test in house. Beats the garbage compression testing system.

that discussion has been brought up in the past and being in IT myself, I do know that RFID chips are not durable enough to withstand 1000+ swings.

it may work if the rfid chip is on the end cap but in the barrel?
Im not so sure.
If they integrate the Rfid inside the handle and have electrodes extending upwards toward the end cap
THAT MAY WORK.
so if the electrodes are interrupted in ANY WAY, that would send a "distress" signal to the reader when the bat is scanned.
I am all for it because there is an epidemic of players swinging glass here...

 

[vahntitrio]

RFID tags fail when pinched. If you hit a ball off the spot the tag was mounted on, the wall flex very well could pinch the tag enough to cause it to fail. Tags need to be mounted on something that wouldn't flex, meaning they would just shave right around it.

 

[bbaum17]

I only shave my balls.

I vacuum seal mine. Does wonders!

 

[tattooball]

That patent was filed back in 08 and yes there is ways to do this and chips are durable enough if you use the right ones.
I have bats with 3000+ swings on them and they work fine. Chip does not go in barrel area just the antennae.
The reader software is proprietary so you just cant clone the chip. Anytime time you think that a reader has been compromised owners of real readers just log on a website and plug reader in and change codes nationwide in less than 10 minutes.

Problem was bat companies refused to put them in there bats because they new it would stop cheating and decrease sales.

The cost was less than a dollar and readers to directors about 500.00

 

[Bombdropper10]

U can just have all the companies use clear end caps so u can see down in the barrel

 

[bbaum17]

The current system they have in place to detect shaved bats, i.e. compression testing, is the best and cheapest solution without completely closing off the endcap. Leagues and Sanctons just need to do a better job at testing all bats at all levels before play. I can't tell you a single time NSA has tested bats before a major tournament even all the way up at the Gold level.

While the chip system may work to detect shaved bats, there is no way for them to identify a well broken in bat that is failing. If the chips have a defect, then they could produce a reading of a shaved bat when in fact it could be perfectly legal.

Finally, it also doesn't make much sense financially for the manufactures to produce this. They just won't eat the cost of research, development, purchasing chips,...etc. That will get added back into the cost of the bats and honestly, I think the pricing of bats has reached their peak. Most of us here already won't pay the full retail prices of $300 and go else where to get them for much cheaper.

 

[sscroggin]

Compression testing is a joke. Worth and Miken will fail after 200 cuts if you have a decent swing. When I buy a bat it should be good for the whole life of the bat for whatever the associations that is stamped on it, not the 1st 200 swings regardless of what it tests on the compression tester. If I remember correctly there was even a study that showed eventually a bat that is broken too much begins to degrade in performance. My problem is with cheaters and compression testing f them both.

 

[Joker]

compression testing is nothing more than a deterrent for people that don't know that shaved bats can still pass compression

 

[Joker]

also manufacturers don't give a **** about shaved bats. all it means is that someone bought their bat and they won't have to give out a warranty for it now

 

[djs_1964]

Problem was bat companies refused to put them in there bats because they new it would stop cheating and decrease sales.

also manufacturers don't give a **** about shaved bats. all it means is that someone bought their bat and they won't have to give out a warranty for it now

Yep and yep!

 

[Duriisimo]

Easier to control the softballs used then the bats. Change to a flight restricted ball or a mushier ball. We use clinchers in our Modified leagues and allow senior bats

 

[bbaum17]

Easier to control the softballs used then the bats. Change to a flight restricted ball or a mushier ball. We use clinchers in our Modified leagues and allow senior bats

I agree it's easier to control the balls then the bats, but no one wants to hit a mush ball. Most guys don't even want to hit the 52's.

 

[jbo911]

Easier to control the softballs used then the bats. Change to a flight restricted ball or a mushier ball. We use clinchers in our Modified leagues and allow senior bats

No! These bounce too much!!!

Seriously, this rfid thing would just be an initial test like compression testing. If you drop a pitcher and your bat fails, they should still have to send it off for further inspection. If you're scan fails before the tournament it's not certified. Just making shaving cost prohibitive eliminates 90% of it at least.

 

[jbo911]

I agree it's easier to control the balls then the bats, but no one wants to hit a mush ball. Most guys don't even want to hit the 52's.

I do. I've seen so many guys get hit in the head by thrown balls I think a ball option is the only way. If we end to try 48/300s or 53/350s or whatever so be it. Low Cor balls suck.

 

[TWmccoy]

Want to really go extreme? Wood bats and .52 300 balls. Good hitters will still go yard without a ton of difficulty. Bad hitters will be exposed for the bad hitters they are.

I agree the answer to stop shaving bats is more in the balls than the bats. Use .52 balls. The ball provides most of the energy anyway. The advent of classic Ms was responsible for bat shaving. The ball is dead. The bat has to do all the work.

 

[jbo911]

It definitely got worse during the classic m era. Whether it was then just losing their super hot combo, th at shaving was necessary to get decent performance it if old bats and that ball above 80 degrees, or a combination of the two I don't know. I seriously think ASA going to the 44/375 just caused them to pull something out of their ass.

 

[2TransAms]

Compression testing is a joke. Worth and Miken will fail after 200 cuts if you have a decent swing. When I buy a bat it should be good for the whole life of the bat for whatever the associations that is stamped on it, not the 1st 200 swings regardless of what it tests on the compression tester.

Yeah, well then you're going back to how they used to do it, where the bat was a log for 500-1000 hits before it opened up and came anywhere close to hitting the limit. Now people want them "hot outta the wrapper", and you can get it, but they don't last as long.

 

[BigDawgz]

Last I heard in conference utrip, they are compression testing bats multiple times throughout the tournament. if the bat is shaved, eventually after they have been used they will drop in psi depending on the number of impacts.if the bats fail, they will get cut open to check if they are altered. so they are trying to crack down on altered bats in the conference from what I heard. this probably does not apply to the lower divisions.

 

[jbo911]

Whether you like compression testing or not, it seems to have all but stopped rolling. Now that people see the numbers they see just how much hotter than the limit rolled bats could get and for how long.

 

[bbaum17]

I do. I've seen so many guys get hit in the head by thrown balls I think a ball option is the only way. If we end to try 48/300s or 53/350s or whatever so be it. Low Cor balls suck.

I'd be open to trying out the 48/300 but I wouldn't go any lower then the current 52/275's Anything beyond those I feel are too bouncy and unpredictable. If you go too soft guys won't want to play anymore cause they can't hit it like they use to.